In a space where most people still rush to import furniture from abroad or wait months for deliveries from international brands like IKEA, Joy-Temilade Adewuyi is changing the game right here in Nigeria. As the founder of a fast-growing home goods and furniture brand, DIYAFRICANS, she’s proving that you don’t have to look overseas to find quality, style, and durability. In an industry where women are rarely seen at the top, Joy is not just showing up—she’s standing out.

In this exclusive interview with The Brief Network, she talks about filling a major gap in the market. Her purpose is to manufacture essential furniture beyond chairs/tables to include shelves, planters, kitchen appliances, etc, giving Nigerians a reason to proudly buy local, and making it easier for people to turn their houses into beautiful homes without the hassle of shipping delays or crazy customs fees.

The Inspiration Behind DIYAFRICANS

Joy-Temilade Adewuyi is an Entrepreneurship Thought Leader, Business Manager at DIY AFRICAN VENTURES Limited and Lead Volunteer at Business Clan Africa. She found a vacuum in the market and make it her goal to drive home goods shopping experiences in Nigeria. Describing the inspiration behind the brand, she says:

DIY Africans was inspired by the identification of a market opportunity arising from increased shipping rates due to general inflation in recent years and increasing local demands. In 2022, more requests for local fabrications by FMCG Companies increased and from being curious about the increasing demand, I discovered customers were facing very high shipping costs from places like China then researched the potential shopping rates of local consumers on sites like Jumia, Amazon and Alibaba. The eureka was connecting the dots of a potential and valuable company that could be built from this era.

We don’t term ourselves as an interior decor company as companies like Home goods Inc or Esty.com wouldn’t be addressed as that. In the new world trend, we are called a Home goods Company. However, the journey started from working with a fabrication company and transitioning into building a company that serves interior purposes among others.

Providing essential items for decoration, functionality and organizing spaces gives me an opportunity to contribute to improve the living standards in Nigerian homes and broadly Africa. Growing up, we didn’t live in a fancy or functional home that made living comfortable or befitting. Today, I’m able to give homes a different experience and also rephrase my parent’s home.

What sets you apart from other furniture and interior decor brands in Nigeria and across Africa?

Essentially our wide range product offers and creative designs, the dynamics of being able to shop home goods needed for different purposes at the homes, offices and every other space. A DIY Africans Shopper is able to shop a kitchen chopping board as well as bathroom towel rack and a planter stand, some figurines and even frames all on one platform. This reduces their total time spent on scouting for all what they need, the  potential hassles with quality, communication, delivery cost and many more. 

What has been the most rewarding and challenging part of running an interior decor brand in Nigeria?

Last year on July 31st, I was attacked by two men who inflicted physical violence on me by beating and the case could not legally proceed because it lacked captured evidence. My team members were out of sight at the time the operation occurred. That was never imagined or expected as the perpetrator couldn’t accept a female standing up to defend my team. This is one intense experience, while on the other end, we have been privileged to perform contracts with large construction companies based on team proven expertise and company support for female led businesses.

What are three key lessons you’ve learned as a young female entrepreneur in this industry?

Three key lessons I’ve learned as a female entrepreneur in the industry includes:

• Building a formidable and inclusive team empowers your business for growth; you must invest in people, believe in them and project them for growth.
• In a male dominated industry, leaning on your femininity and female power is better than assuming masculinity for survival and competition. It means being competent, graceful, assuring, valuable and nurturing.
• Leverage partnership everyday; it reduces cost, mitigates risks and projects efficiency.

How much support do you think is available to SMEs in Nigeria, and what is a solution that you’d suggest?

Infrastructural support such as power is largely gapped in the local production industry and Industrial Technology Support is a resource requirement for local furniture and appliance production companies to scale up in Nigeria. Other concerns such as funding opportunities like grants specific to the niche is rarely come across. SMEs in Nigeria can be largely supported with physical amenities specific to industries and niches for focused growth and scale up!

A big support system for us at DIY has been Mr Deji of WGM Limited as well the opportunity to study at the prestigious Lagos Business School for Business Management acumen.

Do you see more people being more receptive to SMEs in the interior décor industry, as against shopping from big, and notable brands in Nigeria and overseas? 

The future for SMEs in the industry is largely prospective due to world evolution by generation and consumer demands. Most of our shoppers buy accessibility, affordability and even local brand support. The age of international brand choice is coming to a close and the interest for local brands is increasing. 

For us at DIY Africans, we aim to drive shopping experiences by leveraging technology into the large market that Nigeria and Africa provides. Our aim is to pioneer live shopping in Nigeria and leverage industrial partnerships and investments that improves product quality, delivery and overall efficiency in the nearest future.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to young women like yourself, who want to build businesses?

Dear Female reader, whatever vision and dreams God has placed in your heart, run with it. In your journey, God will spend time building you, teaching you, transforming and guiding you. Stay with Him. The process of building a business is continuous, the early years are for mastery and the later for harvest, be patient.

What’s your favorite quote or philosophy that inspires your work?

SME Business Planning is a periodic process of ideation, sampling and analysis of the various components of a startup for immediate and simultaneous execution quarterly.-Joy Adewuyi (JTA) Redefining Business Plan, 2024.

How can our audience support your work and stay connected with DIY AFRICANS?

Shop Now at www.diyafricans.com.ng

Follow to see our interactive contents on IG, TK, X @diyafricans

Watch our shows on YT @diyafricans

For custom requests, visit @diyafricanprojects and for project engagements, email: diyafricanss@gmail.com